HMS Statesman (P246) was an S-class submarine of the Royal Navy, belonging to the Third Group of that class. Constructed by Cammell Laird, she was launched on 14 September 1943 and was the only vessel in the Royal Navy to bear the name Statesman. The submarine's physical characteristics are not detailed in the provided content, but as an S-class, she would have been a relatively small and agile vessel designed for patrol and reconnaissance duties during World War II. During her service, HMS Statesman had an active and notable career in the Eastern Fleet from August 1944 to August 1945. Her wartime record includes sinking a variety of Japanese vessels, such as the cargo ship Sugi Maru No.5 (formerly Gran), twenty-five Japanese sailing vessels, and several smaller craft including a trawler, coasters, a tanker, landing craft, barges, and a drifting wreck in the Straits of Malacca. These actions contributed significantly to Allied efforts to disrupt Japanese maritime logistics in Southeast Asian waters. A particularly notable event occurred in May 1945 when HMS Statesman was involved in the pursuit and eventual sinking of the Japanese cruiser Haguro and destroyer Kamikaze. On 15 May, after several sightings and attacks by Allied aircraft, the British destroyers, including HMS Statesman, intercepted the Japanese ships northeast of Sabang. The engagement resulted in the sinking of Haguro around 0230 hours, with HMS Statesman playing a role in the operation, including a stop at Pangkor Laut to retrieve British officer Lt Col. Spencer Chapman, who had operated behind Japanese lines. Post-war, HMS Statesman was transferred to the French Navy in 1952, where she was renamed Sultane. She was returned to the Royal Navy in 1959 and subsequently sold for scrap in 1961. Despite her decommissioning, parts of the vessel, notably the conning tower, have been preserved and are part of a private collection at Fort Southwick, Portsmouth, serving as a tangible relic of her wartime service and maritime history.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.